How to watch Shark Week 2023 online: Full schedule, channels and more

Henry T. Casey
·5 min read
A shark opens its mouth above water in air jaws: final frontier, a shark week 2023 special
A shark opens its mouth above water in air jaws: final frontier, a shark week 2023 special
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Jason Momoa is this year's special treat when you watch Shark Week online. No, he's not bait for the sharks, but the host of the 35th annual Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, walking us through 20 new hours of shark TV. Of course, he'll probably mention his upcoming film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Shark Week dates, start time, channel

Shark Week dates: Sunday (July 23) through Saturday (July 29)
Time: 8 p.m. ET/PT each night
Watch on: Discovery via Sling TV
Watch from anywhere via ExpressVPN

This year, though, Shark Week 2023 sinks its teeth into all angles of shark life. For example, Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy, will provide a rare look at a great white shark feed, which was done using a life-size whale decoy.

Then, that same night, we get a look at the underwater deathmatch of Jaws vs The MEG, as we learn about how the great white shark could have been the culprit behind the whale-killing MEG's extinction.

Oh, and in a nod to Cocaine Bear's success, we get Cocaine Sharks. Yes, shark expert Tom Hird is going to Florida (of course) to look into what happens when the aquatic hunters happen upon a different kind of 'white.'

Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Shark Week online, and check out this trailer of the Shark Week 2023:

How to watch Shark Week from anywhere on Earth

Just because Discovery Plus isn't available everywhere doesn't mean you need to miss Shark Week if you're away from home. Watching along with the rest of the internet can be pretty easy. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you go.

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN offers superb speeds and excellent customer service, and IPVanish's low pricing is shocking.

We think speed, security and simplicity make ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. View Deal

How to watch Shark Week in the US

In the U.S., Shark Week begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday (July 23). Unlike last year, Shark Week programming will primarily air on Discovery, with some programming airing on Max (specifics TBA). There is no word about Discovery Plus in all of this. The full schedule is available below.

Discovery is available on Sling TV (one of the best streaming services and best cable TV alternatives) with the Sling Blue package.

Discovery is also available on all the big streaming services for cord cutters, including YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, fubo and DirecTV Stream.

Sling TV: Both the Sling Orange and Blue packages carry AMC and many other top channels. Right now, new subscribers save 50% off on their first month. After that, the service costs $35 per month, a very reasonable price for live TV.View Deal

Can you watch Shark Week in Canada and the UK?

The big question this year is will Discovery Plus get any Shark Week content? The service is available in Canada and the UK, so it would be weird if Shark Week content didn't pop up there at all. Shows could debut as early as July 23 (in Canada) and July 24 (in the U.K.). Of course, some content doesn't debut on every international version of a streaming service at the same time, so you may have to wait.

However, content restrictions may apply — so not all parts of the week may be clear to air outside of the U.S.. In that event, ExpressVPN can help you access any services you already pay for.

Can you watch Shark Week in Australia?

Well, Max isn't in Australia yet — but Discovery Channel is, on Foxtel Go.

That said, regional complexities in contracts mean you may not be able to see the entire below schedule down under. Those vacationing abroad can check it out with a VPN service to escape geofencing.

ExpressVPN can help you access any services you already pay for.

Shark Week 2023 schedule

Shark Week will mostly be on the Discovery Channel, with some content hitting Max.

Here is the full Shark Week schedule (with official descriptions from Discovery), all times listed are both Eastern and Pacific.

Sunday, July 23

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy
    In a Shark Week first, researchers with cameras brave a great white shark feeding frenzy from inside a life-size whale decoy. Their findings could be the key to finding the biggest great white shark in South African history. 

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Jaws vs The Meg
    The MEG, a massive shark measuring 50 feet and weighing 60 tons, was once feared as the most fearsome predator. It could devour a killer whale effortlessly, but new evidence suggests that its cousin, the great white shark, may have caused its extinction.

  • 10 p.m. ET/PT: Serial Killer: Red Sea Feeding Frenzy
    Shark attack investigator Brandon McMillan and cinematographer Fo Zayed travel to solve the mystery of what’s behind three recent deadly shark attacks off of the posh beaches of Egypt’s Red Sea. 

  • 11 p.m. ET/PT: Shark Week: Off the Hook
    Dive into the biggest thrills and most terrifying moments from 35 years of Shark Week, celebrating behind the scenes of iconic moments and revealing never-before-seen footage of the fearless adventurers who get up close with the world’s scariest creatures.

Monday, July 24

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Great White Fight Club
    A team of experts venture into the treacherous waters of New Zealand to provide groundbreaking evidence that female white sharks unequivocally dominate the ocean, reigning as the ultimate controllers of its fierce battlegrounds.

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Monsters of Bermuda Triangle
    A healthy, 10-foot pregnant Porbeagle shark vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle. The evidence suggests an unknown, monstrous predator could be to blame. Dr. James Sulikowski and a team of scientists dive into the most mysterious part of the ocean to uncover the truth behind the attack.

  • 10 p.m. ET/PT: Alien Sharks: Strange New Worlds
    The tip of South Africa is a hotspot for unusual sharks that exhibit bizarre behaviors and unusual, otherworldly appearances. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explores stunning kelp forests and ocean depths never-before-seen by humans to study these extraordinary creatures. 

  • Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery.

Tuesday, July 25

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Mako Mania: Battle for California
    ​​Off the coast of Los Angeles, a new population of super makos challenge great whites for their hunting territories. Dr. Craig O'Connell, Fo Zayed, and Kendyl Berna deploy state-of-the-art technology to reveal their dominance and unveil the mysteries that have transformed these makos into some of the fiercest predators in the oceans.

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Raiders of the Lost Shark
    Shark expert Matt Dicken and Shark Week legend Dickie Chivell embark on a relentless quest to locate an elusive and colossal shark named Dutchess, who mysteriously vanished from Gansbaai, South Africa years ago. 

  • 10 p.m. ET/PT: Monster Hammerheads: Killer Instinct
    Dr. Tristan Guttridge believes Hammerhead sharks can reach monster sizes by hunting other species of sharks. The only way to prove his theory is to obtain tissue samples from some of the largest sharks on the planet. 

  • Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery

Wednesday, July 26

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Air Jaws: Final Frontier
    Shark filmmakers hunt for "Air Jaws" in New Zealand's hidden launch pad. Andy Casagrande and Jeff Kurr seek the second-ever breaching great white in these waters to uncover history-making secrets. 

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Florida Shark: Blood in the Water
    Paul de Gelder dives into the Shark Attack Capital of the World to conduct experiments that will confirm what makes up these dangerous waters and determine methods to mitigate the risk.

  • 10 p.m. ET/PT: Cocaine Sharks
    For decades, rumors of cocaine-fueled sharks have spread throughout the fishing community. Shark expert Tom Hird travels to the Florida Keys to investigate what happens when the sharks come in contact with the most notorious drug on the planet.

  • Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery

Thursday, July 27

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Jaws in the Shallows
    Shark Week veteran Dr. Riley Elliott has traveled all over to study great whites, which are now terrorizing the beaches of New Zealand. He sets out alongside his wife Amber Jones to find answers to protect his loved ones from the apex predators before it's too late.

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Monster Mako: Fresh Blood
    Twelve-foot-long monster mako sharks compete head-to-head with great whites for prey off the coast of California. Using a custom clear, acrylic diving bell, Dr. Austin Gallagher and legendary free diver Andre Musgrove get up close with both predators and track makos breaching eight feet out of the ocean.

  • 10 p.m. ET/PT: Shark vs Snake: Battle of the Bites
    Tiger sharks are washing up dead on the beaches of Western Australia with no sign of attack. Forrest Galante has a theory that deadly sea snakes are turning these apex predators to prey. In the battle of shark against snake, are snakes winning?

  • Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery

Friday, July 28

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Tropic Jaws
    When a 16-foot great white invades Indonesia's warm coast of Bali, it sparks fears that they are adapting to hunt the tropical beaches where millions of people swim every day. Dr. Craig O'Connell and Madison Stewart are on a mission to find Tropic Jaws and discover why they left the cold water environment that they have called home for thousands of years. 

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Deadly Sharks of Paradise
    Scientists in South America are studying the shark species thought to be responsible for a spike in deadly attacks since 1990. Marine biologist Danni Washington and shark conservationist Paul de Gelder join a team tracking tiger sharks off a pristine tropical archipelago in Brazil.  

  • 10 p.m. ET/PT: Haunting at Shark Tower
    News of a harrowing shark encounter at North Carolina's Frying Pan Tower sends underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande and shark expert Kori Burkhardt on a dangerous quest to discover whether great white sharks are moving into the state's waters.

  • Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery

Saturday, July 29​

  • 8 p.m. ET/PT: Dawn of the Monster Mako
    A 14-foot giant mako shark is spotted in the waters of Portugal's Azores region. Underwater cinematographer Joe Romeiro and his marine biologist wife, Lauren, search the teeming depths around the ancient islands to capture the beast on film.

  • 9 p.m. ET/PT: Mega Sharks of Dangerous Reef
    The remote islands off the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia are believed to harbor some of the biggest white sharks on the planet. While local fishing reports suggest these giant sharks are still around, they are rarely seen. 

  • Encores run at 10 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery

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